Weighted figure toy



T. c. MARTIN WEIGHTED FIGURE TOY Filed Feb. 5, 1948 Dec. 4, 1951 Patented Dec. 4, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I 4 Thomas QI Martin Natick, Mass; .errll aiiem iebtssr 5, eria N9; @371 ee-i1 The present invention relates to a toy and more 7 particularly to a toy which may be used in the W er d on th gr u d. table g th lik An object of the present invention is to provide a toy in the form and shape of a seal or other similar animal with a ballior sphere .balanced on its nose in such a way that it will swing with the rOQking of t toy. nfurther ob ect of the invention is to weight the toy in such a 'aythat it will rock either on a flat surface like a table or whnplgced in at e ee aih if szi is made sufliciently lightso thatitfwill float with a stable buoyancy.

A further object of the invention is to make a toy simulating the figure of a seal and to provide animation for it in a simple and amusing manner.

In the construction of the present invention, the toy is weighted at its lowest point and the weight of the whole toy is so designed that the center of buoyancy is sufficiently above the cen-- ter of gravity so that a stable floating condition is obtained. 7

In addition to the features above described, the merits of the present invention will be more readily understood from a consideration of the specification below when taken in connection with the drawings illustrating an embodiment thereof, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a side elevation of the toy with parts shown in fragmentary section;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the .toy looking down from the top, also showing fragmentary sections; and

Fig. 3 is a front elevation showing parts of the toy in fragmentary section.

In the arrangement shown in the figures, the body proper I of the toy may be shaped in the form of a seal with the neck 2 curved backwards and the head 3 tilted upwards in a position commonly depicted for a seal. The base part 4 of the body is formed in its long dimension in a general arcuate convex curve and in its transverse section as a straight line as indicated by the base section at 5 (Fig. 3) providingin effect a rocking base. The seal is preferably molded of plastic material,

such for instance as cellulose acetate or other thermo-plastic molding compound, with a wall thickness no thicker than necessary to provide the necessary toy strength. The body within the toy seal is'hollow as indicated by the spaces 6 and 1.

For the purpose of giving roughly an idea of the size of the seal, it may be the size of the ordi- V nary infants toy which an infant of approximate y a ear could readily grasp in his hands. The h ckness of th as 511811 ma b of h forder of a sixteenth o n in The b d i Weighted at its lowest center point, as indicated by the weight or counterweight 8, which extends acrossthe base of the toy in a straight line fitting into recesses 9 and Hi which are built inward Extending upwardly from the mouth 1 l of the seal is a bar l2, which may also be of plastic material or this may be a separate element cemented in place in the mouth of the seal. The bar l2 extendsupward through a'slot'it made diametrically in the hollow ball i i'supported by the'bar in a balanced position above the sealin a pendulum fashion. The ball M may be of a type like a pingpong ball, made of a very light plastic from the side wall f the seal.

material and colored as desired. This ball has a pair of inwardly projecting bosses l5 and H5 at the top, in which cylindrical recesses I7 and I8 respectively are made to receive aligned projecting pins l9 and 20 respectively extending from the top of the bar 12, thus permitting the ball to oscillate backward and forward on the pins as a pivot as the seal is rock-ed either on a level surface or in the water. l'he slot 13 in the ball extends upward slightly beyond. the center of the ball, thus permitting the ball to swing forward or backward to rather extreme positions, somewhat as shown by the dotted line portions 2! and 22. The slot is through the ball is aligned in the forward and rearward directions of the seal which is normal to the position of the'counterweight extending across the seal.

The seal may be molded by injection molding in two halves, which are sealed together along the symmetrical central axis of the seal. The counterweight is put in position before the halves are brought together in one of the halves, and

the supporting bar l2, if a separable piece, may also be attached to half of the seal before the two halves are cemented together. The ball is similarly assembled with the two halves fitting together with the bearing boss in each of the halves aligned one with the other. The child may play with the toy either on a fiat surface or in the water. If used in the water, in whatever way it may first be put into the water it will quickly right itself and any water remaining in the ball will quickly flow out. After righting itself. the toy will oscillate in the position as indicated in Fig. 1 in the plane of the paper. The inside of the seal is completely sealed off about its joining edges so that no water leakage will .come into the cavity.

arched in length and substantially level in width,

the slot in said ball running parallel to the,

longitudinal direction of the body, a weight supported across the width at the lowest' point of said arch within the body whereby said toy will oscillate either in water or on a fiat surface;

2. A toy of the type described, comprisinga figurine having substantially the characteristic form of a seal with a base having a convexly arched surface extending in a forward and rearward direction of the figurine and with the muzzle pointing upwards substantially in line with the center axis of the figurine, a lightweight ball having a diametric slot therein extending in a forward and rearward direction, a bar extending from the muzzle through the slot and into the light weight ball above the figurine pivotally supporting the ball for oscillations forwards and rearwards, a counterweight fixed in the base of the figurine at its lowest point whereby said figurine will be balanced in water and will tend to oscillate in a forward and rearward direction with respect to the figurine.

3. A toy of the type described comprising a hollow plastic shell having substantially the shape of a seal with a convexed arched base in a longitudinal direction having substantially straight line sections in a transverse direction, a light weight ball, means extending from said shell pivoting the light weight ball above the head of the seal including in part ,a supporting pivot in said ball-, said pivoting means permitting the ball to oscillate about its point of pivot in a forward and rearward direction with respect to the figurine, said supporting pivot in the ball being at the top thereof and said ball having a diametricslot running in a forward and rearward direction through which the means extending from said shell passes whereby said ball will pivot substantially near its top and be rocked in a forward and rearward direction with the oscillation of the figurine.

THOMAS C. MARTIN.

REFERENCES CITED 1 The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 83,160 Holt Oct. 20, 1868 260,325 Roth June 27, 1882 1,277,401 I Frueh' Sept. 3, 1918 1,394,669 DaCosta Oct. 25, 1921 1,668,785 Smart May 8, 1928 2,403,531 Hoover et a1 July 9, 1946 

